Sunday, January 9, 2011

Satchel Paige had it Right.

When I was a little child, I always thought I would grow up and be the best in the world at something. For some reason, it didn't work out that way.

I can think of dozens of things that I am adequate at. Some things I have ended up getting fairly good at. But that elusive "best" has always been out of my reach.

Obviously, at 50 years old I can now give up on becoming the Best dancer in the world, or being a movie star. I can forget running in the Olympics. The career in professional singing is out the door for sure, the old throat just ain't what it used to be.

I tried my hand at song writing, and novel writing. Not working out well for me.

So….

I feel sorta' like the theme song from "Cops" "Whatcha' gonna do when they come for you?"

Old Satchel Paige was an African American baseball player, who could have been the best pitcher in history. He was born before his time though, and never got to pitch in the Major leagues until he was in his sixties. He was still magnificent, even at that age. He had a saying about looking behind you though. "Just keep on goin' forward" he would say "and don't look back, cause something might be catchin' up with you!"

I am beginning to think that something is catching up to me, but I DO NOT want to look behind me!

Yep, I could have been the best in the world at SOMETHING. But that's in the past. So I will go on ahead and do the best I can do in the time I have left. Isn't that what we all should do?

2 comments:

Hmmmm.... what am I the BEST at? I'm now 54 years old and I KNOW "stuff" has caught up to me! LOL! But, like you said, I do the best that I can, one day at a time and I'm grateful for each day I wake up. It's interesting that, at my age now, I'm just finding out what it is I truly enjoy doing. I guess it's because "life" had me "busy" all these years AND the epiphany really came after surviving Breast Cancer. I've always enjoyed meeting new people and "doing" for others - helping people out. So, that's what I do now and it is very rewarding. That's what I am BEST at - appreciating people and life.... and just being nice!

On the other hand, sometimes the choice is to become the best at one thing at the sacrifice of many other important things in your life. The cost is just too high. Being good at many things is not the compromise you settle for but the richness of life that you embrace.